


Almost

by TartanWriting



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Maybe in later chapters, Sam Drake - Freeform, Sam Drake x OC, Uncharted 4, mature themes but no actual smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-07-11 02:40:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7023862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TartanWriting/pseuds/TartanWriting
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In game spoilers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Almost

**Author's Note:**

> I love the character Sam Drake, and had to write something self indulgent. This was originally going to be Sam x Reader but I didn't want to write a long fic without some character backstory and description. I don't think this'll be very long but maybe a part two?

Heavy rain pattered down hard against the windows of the high-rise New York apartment. It was late in the evening and Amber Golde sat in her study. Her tall frame cradled a leather chair and she wore an ill fitting dressing gown. Beside her telephone sat a rum and coke. Her finger gently swirled it's contents with a straw as she listened to the voices on the other end of the call. Amber had somehow gotten distracted during the conversation, not fully paying attention to the offer at hand. When several people were on a group call she found it was easy to lose herself. Work had become such a bore. Which was saying something for a criminal. Of course the word criminal was a loose term. She was a smuggler. The people who hired her were often far more corrupt than herself. She perceived herself as more enigmatic. Morally ambiguous. She often found herself in the gray area with friends on either side. When it came to the crooks of the world there was the trustworthy kind and the business only kind. Occasionally the former would turn into friends.

As her mind drifted from the job she was being offered along with several other questionable people for hire, she found herself thinking of tomorrows breakfast. Salmon and eggs maybe? It was the pawing at her ankle that drew her from the adventurous fantasy of what to have to eat and back into her office. The phone lay lit up and on the call was a man named William H Adams and some of the people he intended to hire. She didn't have any intention of taking the job. William wanted a smuggler to move some drug cargo. Amber preferred cargo more materialized. Like gold. She reached down from her chair and picked up a small white kitten, gently dropping it on the desk in front of her. She watched with a smile as it curiously pawed at the house phone. No doubt wondering where the voices were coming from. It was probably for the best she stopped them once and for all.

"Look, William." She mused in a tone that feigned flattery, anything to appease the man. "The job sounds wonderful but I'm afraid I'm busy this weekend." Game of Thrones was on after all.

With so many other offers on the line, it seemed Amber was off the hook and therefore literally off the hook. With the call hung up, she swiveled in her chair. It was a shame the job sounded so dull. She'd been looking for something to preoccupy her mind. As fate would have it, the phone rang once more. Presuming it to be William on the other end calling with a better offer, the tall woman swiveled back to the desk and pressed the speaker button.

"Go on, entice me." She purred; scratching the kitten's head playfully.

"Well, if you want to jump straight to that part, doll. It mostly involves scotch, cigars and Italy." The voice surprised Amber initially but it soon lead to a smirk on her full lips.

"Victor Sullivan." Sully was an old contact of Amber's. They'd worked together on a project Cuba. It mostly involved being, , shot at and smoking cigars. Sully was a treasure hunter and businessman and often needed things moved or sold. On many occasions she found herself to be the shifter. On the Cuba job she came into the equation as mostly a courier and hired muscle, but more importantly the face of the operation. She had one of those 'faces' he and others had told her on more than one occasion. Not that it was necessarily a perfect face, more so it was just easier to trust than a bunch of scarred up older gentlemen. It became part of her femme fatale charm.

She remembered meeting him all those years ago, it was back when she stayed in London and not long after the passing of her father, whom he was old friends with. Since her brief stint with Katherine Marlowe, Sully and Amber had worked on a few jobs together. Slowly but surly they gained each others trust. Something that was hard to do in the black market antique and cargo business.

"Italy?" She asked smiling at the speaker and a light chuckle from the other side told her he was too. She could almost smell the cigar smoke in the room.

"I can't say much, doll. All I can say is if we pull this off we're going to need someone who has the equipment to smuggle millions of gold."

"You know I'm not really one for history or a fools errand, Sully." Amber replied. It was true. She was more interested in the thrill of being a smuggler and the espionage that came with, than the history behind a vase. She often felt like Sully was the same. Adventure over old china plates.

"Nathan's coming." Sully said simply.

Nathan Drake. A legend in the right places. A leper in the others. Amber had met Nathan on several occasions and each time he had a new story to tell. He was basically Sully's son and everyone knew it. She was also very fond of his wife Elena. Elena managed to capture the excitement of a 'job' with just one photo. Last time she'd seen either of them was at the wedding. She'd playfully suggested that Nathan invite her next time he went to find a lost city, but he swore he was out the game for good. Apparently some things never change.

Considering Sully's words, Amber stood up and paced around her large office space. The room was very art deco, and lacked antiques. The white walls encased many photos, one of which was from Nate and Elena's wedding. It was of herself, Elena and Sully. Sully and herself held cigars and Elena looked radiant in her dress. Amber was clad in a pale blue number, something free fitting and perfect for a coastal wedding.

"Why do I feel like there's something you're not telling me, Sully?" Amber asked still looking at the framed photo.

"Because there is?" He barked out with a laugh on the other end of the call.

"So where in Italy are we going?"

 

* * *

 

  
"When you said you needed me, I didn't think it was for my connections to a shady auction." Amber snorted from her seat. Her words blew smoke as both Victor and herself puffed on cigars. For an old guy, she couldn't help thinking he looked a vision his tuxedo. She wore two piece Chanel combo in black. Dresses looked stunning but they didn't do well for quick get aways. She'd also opted to tie her long blonde hair up in a bun. Nothing ruins a shot like stray hair.

Sully had filled her in on the details of the job. Her biggest peeve was that they were going being Elena's back. When a woman finds out you've gone off to a black market auction with their husbands you don't often stay in their good graces. She didn't know Nathan and his wife as well as Sully but she knew that Elena wasn't fond of Nathan 'playing the game.' Still, it was none of her business. She was here to work not get emotionally attached.   
  
The job seemed simple enough, get in, get a cross and get out. Working with Sully she had also arranged travel, with space enough for four million worth of gold when it came to it.

"What can I say, gal. You were our best shot in, and you owe me one. Remember the Shanghai situation?" Sully smirked through puffs of smoke, filling the room with that musky vanilla scent.

"You owe'd me for the help in London." She quipped back, in her very own English accent. Of course she'd lived in the states for years, it wasn't as thick as it used to be.

Before they could debate further the window opened and they both turned to witness the two Drakes stepping in. She puffed on her own lipstick stained cigar and watched as they both re-adjusted their suits by the window.

"Sully?" Nathan asked as his eyes adjusted to darkness.

"Know what I love about partying with a bunch of crooks?"

"What's that?"

"Nobody cares if you smoke indoors."

Even Amber had to snort at that remark. As the lamp flickered on she watched as Sully and Nate had their reunion. As the two men hugged her eye's wandered across the room to catch the gaze of a man she hadn't met before. Sully had filled her in there too. She didn't know enough about Nathan initially to know about his dead brother, but here he was.

"You remember my dead brother, right?" Nathan introduced him. The man was tall, over six foot. Then again she was tall herself particularly in heels. He seemed weather worn but handsome none the less. She could tell without introduction that he was related to Nate, the both shared a resemblance. He seemed trustworthy to Sully but Amber wasn't sure if that was through convincing from Nate or not. A man whose supposedly dead shows up after fifth-teen years? She'd be damned if she didn't side eye him warily a little.

"And you remember Amber Golde." Sully replied, gesturing towards her as she stood up. As Sully got re-acquainted with Samuel, Nathan strode the room in two steps to embrace Amber in a friendly hug.

"Elena's been asking for you." He greeted with a grin, as the hug loosened."Sorry you got dragged into this."

"Anything for Sully. Besides I'm getting paid right?" Amber joked. Elena definitely didn't approve of some of the work Amber did, so how true Nathan's words were, she didn't know. Still it was a nice thought.

As Amber turned from Nathan her genuine smile fell into a smirk as she raised a hand out to shake Sam's. "Amber Golde, nice to meet you."

"Yeah, nice." Sam said in a tone so breathy that it made the hairs on the back of Amber's neck stand up. His calloused hands gently took hers as he brought it to his lips for a light kiss. All Amber could think was 'How very European of him.' She found herself grinning at how cocky he was and for a moment lost sight of the job at hand or the other two men in the room. Sam Drake was awfully sure of himself. It was almost an attractive quality. She'd definitely have to keep an eye on him.

"Oh for peads sake, I knew it was a bad idea letting Sam near a lady." Sully exasperated, although she could tell he was mostly amused. Sam only seemed spurred on by Sully's comment and Nathan proceeded to roll his eyes.

"I can handle myself." Amber said back to Sully somewhat defensively as she let go of Sam's hand.

Sam's reaction was a charming grin followed by, 'I bet."

He was funny. She'd give him that. Fact was, Amber hadn't really had any relationships. Not for a long time. In her line of work she met lots of men and women, but nothing sustaining. You didn't really get the nickname of a femme fatale by being the girl next door, house wife type. Besides, relationships were usually formed on reliability and in the con-world it was hard to find anyone worth relying on.

"Flirting aside, we've got a problem boys." Sully said, bringing everyone back to the task at hand.

Nathan's face fell at Sully's words and the four of them made way into the main ballroom area. Sully explained that the St Dismas cross had been brought out way earlier than expected. Resulting in their time frame being cut to around fifteen minutes. It wasn't impossible but it meant they all needed to work on a way to get in and out without getting shot.

"Okay, we just need a diversion." Said Nate.

"Like?" Sully quipped back, leaving Nate speechless in thought and Sully complaining about guards.

Amber turned to her own thoughts as she started casing the room. Looking at exits, patrons, vantage points... That's when Sam spoke.

"What if the guards don't see us?" He said gesturing towards the statue, his confidence grabbing Amber's attention. "Jesus, you guys act like you've never spent time in prison. If you want something dirty done...then you wait..."

"For lights out." Sully, Nate and Amber all spoke in unison to conclude Sam's phrase. At her blunt candor of spending time in prison Sam quirked a brow at Amber and she merely rose her own in challenge. Okay, maybe she'd have a little bit of fun flirting with the oldest Drake, but the job was the most important thing.

  
The four of them gathered around a table as Nate pulled out a floor pan on the villa. Sam and Nate both made the plan sound easy, kill the lights and grab the cross. If only Amber shared their confidence in that plan. They just needed to move next to the cross without being noticed. They needed a diversion for their diversion.

Before any of them could voice their opinion a waitress disrupted them offering appetizers. Amber watched with amusement as Sam started flirting, in English no-less. She was almost sure the waitress had no idea what he was saying. Lucky waitress. His voice dropped in to a lull, making whatever benign phrase he said sound charming. Neither Nathan or the exiting waitress looked to impressed. The only one who looked impressed was Sam as he turned back around and stuffed an hors d'oeuvre in his mouth.

"Oh please." Amber whispered to herself in an almost scoff. Christ, was she really giving this guy the attention he wanted?

"A waiter wouldn't get noticed." Sam said smugly.

Maybe there was a brain in there. She and Nate agreed that was a good plan.

It appeared Nate was calling the shots, Sam was to be the thief, Nate would get the lights, Sully would be the look out and Amber to work out their escape plan. She after all knew the most people here and her wandering around would be less likely to catch glances.

As they all made their way down to the main floor, Amber found Sam by her side as Sully and Nate walked on ahead. She turned a side eye to see Sam smoothing out his hair as he walked.

"So, do you do this kind of thing a lot?" He asked.

"Who do you think got the invites to the party?" She was morally ambiguous and well known enough to wanger an invite with Sully. Something than Nathan would have trouble with nowadays. After all, everyone in her line of work assumed him retired.

"Nathan says you're a good friend of Sullivan's, you don't look nearly old enough." Sam said, his gaze warm on Amber's face yet she could feel his attention wasn't solely on her. A multitask-er if ever she saw one. Every now and then his eyes would flicker to the waiters and patrons in the room.

"I'm thirty two, flattered and I don't sleep with my partners." Amber said speaking plainly, which to her amusement only made Sam grin more.

"I'll be sure and let Sullivan know that." He teased and Amber couldn't help from laughing. "You always this self assure?"

"Only most of the time." Sam replied shrugging as though his perfection was a curse.

 

* * *

 

The laughing soon came to a halt as they approached the door, Sully and Nate seemed frustrated, apparently the once open door was now locked. Before anyone could make a move, the doors opened. A man holding a fine bottle of red exited, and Amber had to stop herself from smacking her face. These men had clearly never heard of the phrase act casual.

She watched as Nate and Sam bickered about whether or not Nate should lift the key-card. She took this opportunity to interrupt. "Gentlemen, if you may. Allow me to-"

"I think I can handle a simple lift." Nate said defensively and began walking towards the man in the cream waistcoat. Amber held her hands up defeat and allowed Nate to work his magic.

In a matter of moments the window closed and Nate found himself empty handed with Sam goading him. "Oh yeah, real smooth."

As Nate moved in for a second attempt Amber decided to ignore his ego, pressing in in-front of him. With her being so close to the perp, Sam and Nate had no choice to back off.

She smoothed out her soft black silk of her top and puckered her lips as she slid up next to the Italian man in the crowd. He noticed her immediately as she stole to his side. Standing so close that their arms grazed each other. He turned to look at her, finding Amber staring seemingly enraptured with the displays of the auction. When his eyes lingered on her she turned and smiled softly. Looking him up and down. As her fingers gripped the key-card, she looked down shyly and cleared her throat, stepping away from the now ego-boosted man and back to the boys.

"It seems my only use thus far is getting you boys into places."

"We're very thankful." Nathan said taking the card and turning back to the door.

  
Nathan and Sam had left, leaving Sully and Amber with nothing but ear pieces to keep in touch.

 

Amber found herself leaning near the door where Sam and Nate disappeared. She had the key-card and wanted to be near by should anyone need to make a hasty escape. Sully had gotten caught up talk to Nadine Ross. A woman Amber had heard of but never met. She mostly new of Nadine's father's work. As her thoughts of Nadine progressed she hadn't noticed another body creeping close to her own.

"Appetizer?" The low husky voice was warm against her ear. She could feel the heat in Sam's breath as he spoke. Perhaps it was because it had been a while or whatever reason she could use to justify it to herself, but his voice made her skin tingle. She turned in the close proximity to find the ever so charming Sam standing smugly with a silver tray of food held out in one hand. This was the closest she'd been to him since they'd met and it gave her a chance to really take in his features. The birds across his neck. The little freckles on his aging face, his sharp nose that had clearly been broken in the past. Most importantly though she met his eyes. Green with golden flecks watching her intently. She wasn't the type to blush, but she felt a heat creep up her neck.

To break the silence and answer his question, Amber pulled on pout and batted her eyelashes in an almost comical way as she took a small quiche from the platter. "Hi," She breathed in a mocking tone. "How are you?" The repetition and mocking of Sam's earlier words had the man paused for thought.

"Real Cute." He snorted swiping the mini quiche from her hand and popping it in his own mouth.

Before any more tension could rise, the sound of glass hitting the floor attracted everyone's attention to Sully and Rafe who had somehow gotten into a heated debate. Amber could feel Sam stealing from her side and moving into position nearer the cross. With the announcer declaring the bidding about to start, all the four of them could do is wait, fingers crossed for lights out.

 

After the blackness hit all hell broke loose. Sully, Sam and Amber had slipped out the door. They hadn't even made it half way to the car before Sam was quizzing Nathan on his whereabouts. Turned out Nathan had gotten into a little trouble with Nadine Ross. Sam insisted on going back for him, leaving Sully and Amber to get the car round. In the back seat of the car was a ruffle bag of guns, just in case the worst should happen. Sully decided to drive leaving Amber with shotgun, literally. She took the front passenger seat and grabbed a shotgun from the bag; loading it up as Sully drove them closer.

"It's a goddamn warzone in there!" Sully cried swerving to avoid hitting some fleeing party guests.

"Yeah, what were you expecting them to gift wrap the stolen item and send us on our way?" Amber shouted back over the noise of the engine and passing cars. As they pulled up to the manor it didn't take long for guards to start shooting at them, must have been the fact that Amber had a shotgun and Sully was driving the wrong way. Sully yelled that the car was here down his ear-piece but it seemed Nathan and Sam were having some trouble of their own.

Amber pulled the trigger taking out two guards, but more just seemed to appear. They couldn't wait out in the open for long.

"New idea get us at the fountain!" Sully bellowed as one of the guards flying bullets hit a little too close to home.

The road to the fountain was a treacherous one. Full of gunfire and dangerous driving. Not to mention an obscene amount of swearing. Between all four of them all they could hear through the ear pieces was a whole lot of each other saying 'shit' and 'Jesus fucking Christ!' As the got closer to the otherside of the building Amber couldn't help but notice they'd missed a cut off. She looked down the road to where Sully was driving, spotting some hedges and shrubbery in their way.

"Victor, no." She warned in a shakey breath, but true to himself he didn't listen. The two came crashing through the hedges, hitting three garden pots and ceramic statues on the way. For a brief moment all either of the drake brothers could hear was 'Fuuuuuuuuuu--uuuuuuuuuuck' in the most terrified of English accents. As the car came to a crashing halt in garden's Sully hastily ushered Sam and Nate inside.

As the four drove off safely, bar some bullet holes in the car, Amber let out a sigh of relief.

 

* * *

  
After a long discussion about a trip to Scotland and guilt trip for Nate and Sam, everyone had decided to go to bed and retire to their own hotel rooms. If the treasure was in Scotland, Amber would need someone coastal to be able to transport it. Fortunately she knew several people in Britain. It's not like they were going to fit it all on Sully's dingy plane. These were just some thoughts that passed through her head as she sat at midnight in her quiet hotel room. She'd ordered some late room service. It didn't really seem like she'd get much sleep, not after all the excitement of the day. She was rushing with adrenaline. Perhaps she'd nap on the plane as they flew to Scotland.

Amber sat allowing her thoughts to muddle as she occupied her hands with a Sudoku puzzle. Listening to classical Italian music on the radio, she sat cross-legged in the center of the bed in a baggy over sized, White Snakes shirt. She kept her hair up and chewed on the back of a pen. As her eyes gazed into the paper in her hand the door knocked. It was about time room service arrived. She was in dire need of some pesto coated food.

"Come in." She called; not looking up from her puzzle book. It was useless, she was no good at puzzles. She only brought the silly book because Sully had mention problem solving to be a repeating factor in Nate's line of work. He'd probably laugh if he saw what she was doing to keep her brain working. Finally drawing her eyes from the pages, Amber looked up agape to find that in stead of room service Sam stood in her door-way. She'd already invited him in and he was already closing the door behind him. In his hands was a quarter bottle of scotch, and she could tell from the lack of grim from the earlier shoot out he'd had a shower.

"Some day, huh?" Sam greeted, gently sloshing the bottle of scotch in his hand invitingly.

Amber put her pen down and looked Sam over curiously. His hands seemed a little grazed from the events of the auction, but overall he looked no worse for wear. "Somehow I don't see it ending the way you're expecting."

"Tempting, but no. Nate kicked me out to sleep and I heard music coming from your room. Figured you could use a drink." Sam offered and Amber believed his intentions to be clear. Seems she wasn't the only person who had trouble sleeping.

"Alright, but you're not getting any of my food." She chuckled scooting up on the bed and turning the music down on her beside radio. If Sam could hear it outside it was far too loud for that time of night. As Sam moved to get glasses from the mini-bar counter, Amber pulled her shirt down to cover her thighs and cleared the bed of any clutter.

"Oh sure, you'll invite me to bed, but dinner is out of the question." Sam teased playfully and Amber had to suppress a huff as Sam plonked down on the bed offering her a glass of scotch. Not her favorite drink in the world, but she wouldn't decline.

"You're awfully chipper for a man whose life hangs in the balance of a fools errand and in the hands of a drug lord." Amber retorted accepting the glass and taking a short sip. "Piece of advice, never get involved in drug deals or the dealers. "

"Yeah, I should of just asked Alcazar to leave me in prison because I found his occupation questionable."

"Okay, fair enough." Amber replied in defeat.

"So, Sullivan tells me..." All Amber could think was 'oh here we go', she couldn't wait to hear what Sully had said. More importantly she wasn't sure how she felt about Sam asking questions about her. Sully wouldn't just go on spouting without being questioned. "...you import stolen goods, and have a great means of selling them. How does one get into that line of work?"

"I've done some questionable things."

"Oh really?" Sam's voice was full of curiosity. "That's funny, because Sully's a good guy, he's not really the kind to vouch for bad people."

"I said questionable, not bad." Amber corrected, "Hell, I've probably killed less people than all three of you."

"Personally, I'm more of a lover than a fighter." Sam boasted with a smirk.

"Didn't you get shot to death fighting your way out of a prison?" Amber fully expected Sam to lose his smugness at her comment but he only seemed to smirk wider.

"You bet your ass, and I've got the scars to prove it."

Then Amber made a comment and she wasn't sure why, maybe it was the confidence that Sam oozed or her curiosity. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." There was already some tension in the room, but her words tipped the scale in favour of sexual tension. They were both full of adrenaline from the days events and they both seemed like they needed laid, at least Amber was if she was being honest to herself. It probably wasn't wise to be flirting with the oldest Drake brother, what with him having a price on his head and with them both having work to do, but he looked and smelled awfully good.

The comment made Sam raise his brows and after the initial shock he leaned back from where he sat to pull up his shirt. The first thing Amber noticed as the material lifted was how in shape Sam was. She supposed there really wasn't much else to do in prison. She followed his abs down to his snail trail, the small patch of hair that lead to his waistband. Oh and there was three bullet scars too. That's where she was supposed to be looking. As the cloth of his top started drifting down, Amber's eyes fixed on the spot where he scars had been.

"I'm impressed you survived, must of been one hell of a prison doctor." Amber laughed as Sam took a sip of scotch.

"Oh yeah, first in his class at Yale." Sam joked after his sip. 'Asshole' Amber thought. "Your turn."

"I wasn't lucky enough to get cute polka dots." She countered grabbing the hem of her baggy shirt. As she began lifting she was painfully aware of how fixed Sam's eye's were to her thighs as more and more was revealed. She pulled the shirt up slowly, agonizingly slow. She followed Sam's gaze as she lifted up to reveal her upper thighs, her underwear, hips and navel. As she reached rib cage she twisted to reveal a long jagged scar down her right side. "Broken bottle." She explained. To his credit Sam was actually looking at the scar.

They both sat there in silence for a moment, it wasn't until a sharp knock at the door interrupted did they both exhale. Amber let her shirt drop and Sam stood up to get the door. On the other side was room service.

With the moment over, they both went back to talking about their past antics with Nathan and Sully, they spoke and ate through the early hours until a yawn from Sam decided it was time to call it a night. Sam didn't push anything despite their earlier flirting which was refreshing.Al It was certainly an interesting, almost.


End file.
